Ice-serving conveyer



2 Sheets-Sheet I W. H. CLAYTON CE SERVING CONVEYER Filed May lO,

Feb. 17, 1931.

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Patented Feb. 17, 1931 PATENT 'OFFICE "WILLIAM H. CLAYTON, or FORT WORTH, TEXAS ICE-SERVING CONVEYER Application led Mayv 10, 1927. Serial No. 190,228.

My invention relates to ice carrying conveyers and more particularly to conveyers for retailservice; and the object is to provide a simple apparatus whichis readily 1nstalled at small expense and which is easily operated and by which much time is saved in operation and much expense 'avoided in delivering ice. Another advantage is'that the work of delivering the ice is made less hazardous to the operators and customers can be served in much shorter time. Other objects and advantages will be fully explained in the following description and the invention will be more particularly pointed out in the claims. .I i

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this application.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the conveying apparatus, the machine frame being shown resting on the floor line of the building.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.`

Fig. 3 is abroken perspective view .of the conveying apparatus. p

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation, the angle iron supporting bars being shown in section.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged broken view of the conveyer, illustrating the mechanism for taking up the slack. Y

Similar characters of reference are used to indicate thesarne parts throughout theseveral views. Y

Conveyer chainsl and 3Vare provided for moving the ice blocks. Cleats A4 are provided and attached to the chains `land 3 to force the blocks along slideways providedby anglebars 6, of which the Vhorizontally disposed flanges constitute spaced supporting slide members for supporting the ice, while the vertically disposed flanges constitute longitudinal guide means for maintaining the ice on its slideway to be moved by the cleats 4, which also separate the ice blocks and prevent their freezing together, and which are suitably supported, preferably by means of the horizontal flanges of the angle-bars 6. Thus the ice blocks are prevented from freezing together and positive delivery thereof isV assured as they are forced along the slides 5 blocks which may freeze to the slides. The chain 3 is driven by wheel 12 which is rigid with hollow shaft 35. The chain 1 is driven by wheel 2 which is rigid with a hollow shaft 16. The hollow shafts 16 and 35 are mounted on ashaft 5 which serves as a bearing for these hollow shafts.` The shaft 5 is supported in bearings 42 which are adj ustably attached to bars 44 which are attached to the uprights 18. At the front end of the machine, an idle sprocket wheel 40 supports the chain 3 and an idle sprocket wheel 39 supports' the chain 1. The wheels 39 and 40 are supported on a shaft 38 which is mounted in uprights 41. The uprights 41 are attached to the base members 17. Other upright supports 18 and 43 are attached to the base members 17. Cross bars 37 are attached tothe uprights 18 and 43 for supporting the angle bars 6. The blocks of ice are slid along on the angle bars 6 towards a chute 21 to be delivered thereby to the purchasers. For taking up the slack in the chains 1 and 3, the bearings 42 are made adjustable on the supporting bars 44. The bearings 42 have base members 45 which are dovetailed into the supporting bars 44. Screw threaded shafts or rods 46 have swivel connections with the base members and operate through nuts 47 which are attached to uprights 18.

The chains 1 and3 may be driven by any suitable power, either manual power or motor power. Means for actuating the wheels 2 and 12 manually are illustrated in the drawings. A disk or crank disk 7 is rigid with the hollow shaft 16 and provided with a plurality of shoulders or abutments 10. A lever 8 is looselymounted on the hollow shaft- 16 and provided with a spring-actuated dog 9 slidably mounted in bearings 25 attached to the side of the lever 8 and'adapted to engage the abutments 10. The wheels or disks 7 and 11 may be more appropriately called `ratchet wheels. The spring on the dog 9 holds the dog yieldingly against the ratchet wheel for propelling the wheel or disk. An upward pull on the lever S will cause the dog to turn the ratchet by lifting .up an abutment or tooth 10 to move the chain a limited distance. W'hen the power is released, the

weight of the lever 8 will cause the lever 8 to drop back to starting position without moving the ratchetwheel, the weight ot the undelivered blocks ot' ice being suthcient to prevent hack vard movement of the ratchet wheel. This movement of the ratchet wheel must be so timed as to move one block of ice at a time to be delivered to the chute 2l.

in asimilar manner, a ratchet wheel ll is rigid with the hollow shaft 35 and is provided wih an operatingdog 9, an operating lever 13, and teeth 10 for driving the chain. rl'he lever 11 operates in the same manner as lever 8.

A cord 26 is attached to the lever 8 and run over a pulley 27 and then over anothervpulley or idler 28 andv thence'to'a convenientloc'ation for the operator. ln the same manner a cord29 is attached to le'ver 18 and then runV over idlers 30 and 3l to a convenient location torthe operator. Each` chain I and 3 can be loadedwith a plurality of blocks of ice so that the operator has simply to pull the proper cord to get a block of ice of the required weight. The ice may be delivered through a door 32 inthe wall 33 of a building. The lower members ofthe angle bars (3 are cut away at 48 tor the passage 'ot the cleats 4.

rEhe machine herein shown is portable so that it can be located at any convenient place.

Thelongitudinal base members 17 are made' rigid with each other by cross braces 49 and the machine frame is made rigid b y ther uprights 18 and 43 and the cross bars 87 and idie longiti'idinal angle bars '(3.

Various changes in the sizes, proportions, construction and arrangement otthe several parts' of 'ine machine may be made without departing from my invention.I

l. An ice serving conveyer comprising an upright frame, sprocket wheels provided with shafts journaled in said frame, a 'chain running on saidl sprocket'wheels, means attached to said trame on both sides ot the upper part of said chain and constituting slides for blocksA of ice, cleats attached to said chain for propelling the blocks or" ice along said slides, and means tor driving onel of said sprocket wheels consisting of a ratchet wheel rigid with the sprocketwheel to be driven, a lever loosely mounted on the shaft of the sprocket wheel to be driven, a spring-actuated dog carried by said lever adapted to engage the teeth of said ratchet wheel, and means 'for actuating said lever. f

2. rin ice serving machine comprising a trame, two pairs of angle bars mounted on said frame, each pair having their horizontal flanges adjacent to each other, sprocket wheels provided with shafts journaled in said trame, sprocket chains driven by said sprocket wheels and running between said flanges, said flanges constiti'iting slides for ice blocks, cleats attached to said chains and projecting over said ianges for moving blocks ot ice, and means for driving each sprocket chain.

3. An ice serving machine comprising an upright trame and pairs of' angle bars attached to and constituting the top of said frame, each pair of angle bars having their horizontal flanges projecting towards each other, rear and front shafts journaled in said frame, sprocket wheels mounted loosely on one of said shafts, sprocket wheels provided with hollow shafts rigid therewith and journaled on the other of said shafts, sprocket chains ruiming on said sprocket wheels between said angle bars, cleats attached to said sprocket chains and projecting over said flanges for moving blocks olf ice, and selective means for driving each sprocket chain.

Li. In an ice serving machine to be located inside an ice storage chamber and operated from the exterior of said chamber to successively deliver blocks of ice to the exterior of said chamber through an opening in the chamber wall, a frame, an endless chain supported on sprocketsand running longitudinally of said frame and provided with spaced laterally extended cleats spaced supporting slide members carried by said frame at either side 0I" said chain underlying said laterally extended portions of said cleats for supporting said cleats and for supporting blocks of ice interposed between said cleats to be maintained separate thereby, a chute for receiving' blocks of ice delivered at one end of said supporting slide members for conducting them through said wall opening, and means operable from the exterior of said chamber for intermittently advancinfr saidv chain to intermittently slide said blocks ofice alongvsaid members toward said chute fordelivery thereto comprising a ratchet wheel coupled to drive one ofsaid sprockets, andog engageableA with said ratchet wheel to 'rotate the same and means for intermittently engaging and moving said dog to move said ratchet wheel;

vwhereby(freezing together of said blocks is avoided, and positive delivery thereof` is assured.

5. In an ice serving machine to be located insidean ice storage chamber and operated from the exterior of said "chamber to successively deliver blocks of ice to they exterior of said chamber through any opening in the chamber wall, a frame, a slideway carried by said traine comprising longitudinallice supporting slide members for slidingly supporting blocks of ice positioned thereon, a chain running longitudinally of said frame and provided with upstanding spaced cleats extending above said ice supporting slide members to lie between and Vmaintain separate blocks of ice positioned thereon, av chute for receiving blocks of ice delivered at one end of said supporting slide members for conducting them through said wall opening, and` means actuable from the exterior of said chamber operable to advance said chain a limited distance to intermittently slide said blocks of ice along said members toward said chute for successive delivery thereto; whereby freezing together of said blocks is avoided, and positive delivery thereof is assured.

In testimony WhereofI set my hand, this 5th day of Ma 1927. XILLIAM H. CLAYTON. 

